Fiscal Fast – 7 days no spending (at all)

lilian1977

Hi all

Resurrecting this thread as I can feel myself getting a bit out of control with spending, so I need to reset myself and I always find a fiscal fast is a good way to do that.

So, I didn't spend anything yesterday and am planning to keep that up until Friday - my son has a friend for tea on Friday but I am hoping I will be able to do make-your-own-pizzas so that will keep the cost down, already have a bag of mozzarella and some pepperoni/sweetcorn/peppers in the fridge so might just need to look and see if I have yeast for the dough.

Otherwise I am planning to go to the gym every lunchtime this week (I know that's not MSE in general but it is for me as it's £30 a month and keeps me out of the shops at lunchtimes!) apart from Wednesday when I have a mystery dine at lunchtime - so that will be a spend but one that will be reimbursed.

Made spinach and chickpea curries for other lunches this week and have enough in the house to feed the family for our evening meals. I have also started a dry July early so no alcohol spends.

Is anyone else up for joining in this week?

[Deleted User]

Definitely I have a no-spending week ahead of me as I am trying to run down some of the food mountain I have accumulated,I also have a summer self-catering holiday in just over 6 weeks time.

What's left over from this months budget is going into my Race for Life fund, and my friend and I have had a wager as to how much of the stocks in my cupboards I can use up.She said she will double what I manage to save from my budget for food for June towards the fund so its win-win :)

craigywv

i am in with you too,been fically fasting on and off for a while now.
also been overspending,and go away on holiday next month thankfully got my euros changed last month yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy! anyway cupboards,fridge and freezers all full so nsd o for the forseeable future. got gammon steaks out of freezer for tea tonight with tin of pineapple chunks will do them in pan and hm chips. put on mince in sc for shep pie for tomorrow carrots and onion to add to it later. off work on fridY AM HOPING TO MAKE BANANA LOAVES GOT LOADS OF BROWN BAnanas in freezer sorry about capitals there didnt see caps lock on. also make soda farls and potato bread. feel good thread is active again as i need it!!!!!!!!1

lilian1977

Free Optiwell yoghurt drink here if you can trust yourself to only go and pick this up!

https://www.optiwell.co.uk/free/

Check Store Locator as not all shops will stock it.

craigywv

ok i need a bit of help ,i have found an ood pack of ginger nuts do not want to eat as biscuits what else can i do with them? i open to all ideas thank you xxx

[Deleted User]

Whizz them in a blender or put in a bag and bash with the rolling pin and use as a base for cheese cake/lemon meringue pie or as a topping in a crumble I adore ginger nuts and would happily eat my way through them:0I rarely buy them as I have a serious addiction to them :):)

lilian1977

Great ideas from JackieO, or use as a yoghurt topping, or even mix into muesli to make a naughty gingery granola!

So I'm on day 3 of no spend - forgot the microwave in our office was broken yesterday but instead of being naughty and going out to buy something I trudged across the building and used the microwave in a different office to heat my curry.

Pay day today so have squirrelled everything to where it needs to be and now have £150 in my food account and £80 in my fun account to last until 28th July. It should easily be enough as I have no big plans this month really.

Tea tonight will be pasta I think, then tomorrow will be sausage casserole left over from yesterday. Not sure about Thursday yet, will have a root in the freezer - I know there is some soup in there so maybe that.

Have been looking on the Try Me Free thread and have a list of some things to pick up on Saturday when my fiscal fast ends, I know it's effectively not spending but I can't guarantee I will get the refund.

Right, off to use my gym membership now. Have MSE days all xx

[Deleted User]

Oooh I like the sound of a naughty gingery granola, I have a gorgeous bottle of ginger wine (only half left) that I bought last year at Carisbrooke Castle at an event there. I am ekeing it out and will buy some more when I return in August. I also want to buy some of the delicious garlic stuff from the Garlic Farm to bring home. I will make sure I buy extra this year though as their products are just soo tasty.

Day three for me as well and my food purse is firmly in lock down mode

Friday is the start of my new month and I will have £60.00 in my food purse and I am going to see how long I can eke it out to in July without having to buy anything.

Lots of stuff already in the cupboard.I found a box of sauce mixes that I had put into the back of the larder cupboard when I was 'tidying' at Easter so they are going to be used with stuff from the freezer.

lilian1977

Just had my mystery dine lunch at Itsu - it was so tasty but £8.73 for a noodle pot, pack of prawn crackers and a green juice - not worth it for an every day lunch! Full reimbursement once my report is accepted though so hope that goes through ok. Also had a free coffee from Paperchase so a very MSE lunch break!

Ended up in T3sco after all last night as the 25% off WYB 4 or more cleaning products was finishing, so stocked up on pan scourers and bleach and got two free buckets! Also picked up the TMF things I could find while I was there - Heinz Mayo and Blue Diamond Almond Milk, and got two 1L Optiwell yoghurt drinks as they were on offer at £1 and the assistant said she couldn't put through the £2 off coupon unless I spent £2, so I went to get another. She then charged me for three of them, meaning I got £2 back at CS for DTD! So I spent £5.97 in total but will get £2.69 back for the mayo and £1 for the Almond Milk. Bargains!

Just requested a free mascara from the MAC Facebook page - go quick if you want one! https://www.facebook.com/MACcosmetics/app/1538613076440923/

craigywv

still no spending yayyyyyyyyyyyyy,making pork chops from freezer marinaded last night in sweet chilli sauce and soy. also made in rice cooker thai rice from stockcupboards will fashion this into fried rice and cut chops up into it with mushrooms and red peppers cost about 2 quid total for 3 big massive platefuls as meat was ys before christmas!!!! to 40p for a tray of 6 (used 3). got griddle out will make manchild aged 12 pancakes for afters with probally nutella or ice cream..........prob both as he a gut also.cost about 30p. making scones tonight as out of work early today and feel like i wasting time doing nothing as cant get into garden with our wonderful weather. will make cherry and plain ones. maybe soda farls too will see.enjoying not spending,i do not need to go sm as much now as son is off school from today so no breaks and no packed lunches to make for 9 weeks oh here i so excite! will save a fortune,prob not as he here instead and will graze from dusk till dawn fruit bowl is full crisps hidden and he only gets pocket money on saturdays well thats the plan until you hear"can i have money for the cinema,swimming,town whatever"followed by a simpering smile and i the silly fool will open my purse and give it while he prob mutters sucker under his breath ,ho hum i did the same to my old mum.xxx